2020 U.S. Census results have shown the change you might have already noticed. New Port Richey is now the second largest city in terms of population in Pasco County. The new #1 is Zephyrhills, according to the Tampa Bay Times. Zephyrhills now has 17,194 residents. That’s a 29% increase from just 10 years ago. Overall Pasco’s population saw about a 20% jump over the past decade.
The City of Pure Water’s City Manager told the Times “We know we’ve made it because we have a Chick-fil-A.” But seriously folks… they say the big difference maker was upgrading the local airport and investing in growing local business.
That’s not all we learned from the Census. In terms of age, Zephyrhills is also older than Pasco. About 1/3 of the city residents are 65 or older and has a smaller percentage of those under 18 than the rest of Pasco County. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]